Cat Virus Tied to SARS (Hong Kong Travel Advisory Lifted)

NYTIMES ^ | May 23, 2003 | KEITH BRADSHER and THOMAS CRAMPTON

[InShanghai]

I know it's from the times but forgive me because I thought being a cat virus and all....

[Paleo Conservative]

Does this mean that certain Mexican food restaurants should be avoided also?

[TaxRelief]

A new twist on feline coronavirus - I believe you mentioned this possibility, didn't you?

http://www.felinecoronavirus.com/

[TaxRelief]

Taco meat! LOL

[Mike Darancette]

China, that they had discovered a virus in a rare species of tree-dwelling cat that is virtually identical to the virus believed to cause SARS in humans.

I thought that the Times was going to be accurate; The Civet is NOT a Cat. So don't go destroying your pets.

[InShanghai]

Ping. Careful with the cats....

[TaxRelief]

Somewhere out there in internet-land there is a presentation entitled:

Matthias Hebben: Use and influence of the Poxvirus MVA as an immunizing vector against FIPV

I can't find it. This may go a long way towards explaining the initial confusion...

[CobaltBlue]

Oh, for Pete's sake. Civet "cats" are not cats, at all. They are more like a mongoose. They have cat-like faces, but are not cats.

[InShanghai]

I don't keep pets, they're too messy. No worries on destroying my pets... :-)

I know a lot of people who have cats up the kazoo... now waht?

[InShanghai]

waht = what

[grimalkin]

The title is wrong. Civets are not cats. Family: Viverridae

[aristeides]

Judging from their activity and feeding habits, infected civets do not appear to feel any ill-effects from the virus. Only a small number of civets have been tested so far. Professor Yuen declined to say precisely how many, but most seemed to have the virus.

That sounds like FIP in cats.

I wonder how it happened that this apparently related virus in civets was able to infect people.

[InShanghai]

...this apparently related virus in civets was able to infect people.

Interesting, how do you know they passed it on to people and not the other way around???

[Dog Gone]

I suppose if a civet objected to being slaughtered and bit someone, it could transmit the virus.

However, I find it puzzling that this would be the first time that SARS was transmitted this way. This has been going on for a long time.

[InShanghai]

Time for bed (*yawn*). I hate the time difference....

[Free Trapper]

Is cat FIP the disease that's similar to human HIV,or something else?

[aristeides]

I don't know. That is also possible.

[aristeides]

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is a cat disease caused by a coronavirus that has some remarkable similarities to SARS in humans. They are different viruses, however.

[aristeides]

The cat disease that's similar to human AIDS is Feline Leukemia. Like AIDS, it is caused by a retrovirus.

[Free Trapper]

Thanks to you and everyone else for all the info.I'm trying to catch up.

SARS has caused me to change a number of things in my life already and now I believe I'm going to change things again.

Better safe than sorry. :o)